Monday, June 18, 2007

No Trial for Lynn and Clint Engstrom

Here's an update on that horrific story of a 13-year-old Oshkosh girl alleged to have been mercilessly abused by her parents.

Lynn and Clinton Engstrom were set to go on trial today.

It's not happening.

From
The Northwestern:

Two Oshkosh parents accused of confining their 13-year-old daughter to her room for 22 hours a day for almost two years will not be allowed to have contact with the girl for the next four years under an agreement reached Monday by prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Clint Engstrom, 32, and Lynn Engstrom, 35, both entered no contest pleas and entered into deferred adjudication agreements before Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge Barbara Key during a hearing Monday morning. Clint Engstrom was charged with causing mental harm to a child by failing to protect the child and Lynn Engstrom was charged with causing mental harm to a child. The maximum penalty each faced was 12 years, six months in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Under the agreement, the Engstroms are not allowed to initiate any contact with the girl without permission from the Winnebago County Department of Human Services and they must continue any counseling they are currently receiving. The agreement would last until the girl is 18 years old. If they violate terms of the agreement, the Winnebago County District Attorney's Office will recommend they serve at least six years in prison.

Winnebago County District Attorney Christian Gossett said his primary goal was that the girl, who is living with her grandmother, would not be in the custody of her parents.

So all the parents have to do is relinquish their rights to see their daughter.

That's their punishment, that and continuing to undergo counseling.

That's it.

No fine. No prison time. Nothing.

While I agree with Gossett that keeping the girl out of the custody of her parents was an important goal, I question the failure to punish the parents for their allegedly monstrous behavior.

Do the Engstroms have custody of their other children?

If so, is that wise?

Given their track record, I would say NO.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good thing your opinion doesn't count for much! The DA couldn't make the case and knew it. This was there way of saving face. No contest is NOT an admission of guilt. I hope they DO have there oher children.

Mary said...

I don't believe justice was done here.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who has ever met Lynn and Clint would know none of this is true! They are great parents and they should not have had to go through what they did! There was no case and therefore they were NOT guilty, how much more black and white does it get!!

Anonymous said...

Lynn and Clint are monsters in every sense of the word. Psychological torture can be far worse than physical punishment, and the case is usually harder to prove. And when these crimes are committed against a minor, by the very people who are supposed to love that child unconditionally...well it makes me sick.

What those parents did to their little girl I wouldn't even do to a dog with rabies.

Justice was NOT served. Justice would be the maximum sentence under our law.

How can Lynn and Clint live with themselves? How can their lawyer look himself in the mirror?